256 



KNOW LI. IX". I 



July, 1912. 



2. — Thk Rkskakches or Sik Wii.i.iwi Ramsay. 

 It is now gcnerallv known that Kadiiini (which 

 chemically spcakinj^ nniAt be nikoned as an element) 

 spontaneous!)' disintcf^rales into two otiier elements. 

 Niton (the radinm-emanation. a heavy, cliemicailv- 

 inactive gas) and Helinm. Niton Iteliaves in a 

 similar manner, yieldin},' Helinm and a solid sub- 

 stance, Radium A, which in its turn also disintegrates. 

 In fact.it appears that there are no "elements" 

 wiiich are perfectly stable, though it is onl\- in these 

 and certain other cases that the amount of disintegra- 

 tion is sufficient to make 

 itself ajipreciaiily felt. All 

 such sub-atomic changes, 

 as these may be termed, 

 are accompanied by rela- 

 tively large energy changes. 

 This is particularly the 

 case with respect to the 

 disintegration of Niton. 

 It has been estimated that 

 the decomposition of om 

 cubic centimetre of Niton 

 is accompanied by tlic 

 evolution of about four 

 million times as much 

 heat as is obtained by th( 

 combustion of an equal 

 volume of hydrogen. It is 

 evident, therefore, that 

 locked up within the chem- 

 ical atoms there must be a 

 store of potential energy so 

 vast that the human mind 

 can scarce conceive of it. 

 It is a fair inference to 

 suppose that in order to 

 bring about the con\er- 

 sion of one element into 

 another at will, energy at an 

 excessively high potential, 

 in a highly concentrated 

 form, so to speak, such as 

 is obtainable from no or- 

 dinary sources, is necessary. 

 In fact, the only energy of 

 this sort available is that given out with the 

 spontaneous decomposition of Niton and otiur 

 highly radio-active elements. Mvcn tlRii. as tlie 

 actual quantity of energy given out during or- 

 dinary periods of time is com|)arativelv small, 

 owing to the fact that such sub-atomic changes 

 are comparatively slow, it appears that, granting tlie 

 transmutation of the elements to be possible bv this 

 means, only microscopical quantiticscould be actualb' 

 transmuted. The only case in which one can suppose 

 transmutation of largequantities of an element as pos- 



Photographs 



A. Pure Helium; B, Imn-.'Vrc; c, Gases under examination 

 (ind photograph) ; D, Gases under examination (1st photo- 

 graph) : K, Pure Neon. 



siblcwouidbcinthcevent of there existing a substance 

 which would catalytically Cf)nvert one element into 

 another containing less ])f»tential energy. There is 

 no inherent imjiossibility in this latter supposition ; 

 but, on the other hand, no such catalyst is 

 known. That the energy obtained by the sjion- 

 taneous decomjiosition of Niton, however, may be 

 utilised for transmuting microscopical quantities of 

 various elements is indicated bj- the researches of 

 Sir William Ramsay. 



His first e.xperiments were carried out on distilled 

 water, and the result con- 

 firmed later by a more 

 accurate experiment carried 

 out in conjunction with 

 Mr. Cameron.* In this 

 e.xperiment the water, upon 

 which a small quantity of 

 Niton was allowed to act, 

 was contained in a silica- 

 bulb. The gases produced 

 were removed : these con- 

 sisted mainly of oxygen and 

 hydrogen, due to the chem- 

 ical decomposition of the 

 water. The residual gas, 

 after removing the ordin- 

 ary gases, was examined 

 spectroscopically. Helium 

 was present, owing to the 

 ilisintegration of the Niton 

 in the gas-phase in the bulb: 

 but besides the Helium 

 lines, the characteristic 

 lines of Xeon were also 

 obser\ed. This is shown 

 in Figure 289, which is 

 here reproduced from The 

 Journal of the Chemical 

 Society hv kind permission 

 of Sir William Ramsay, 

 to whom the present 

 writer's thanks are due. 

 .A is the spectrum of pure 

 Helium; B, that of the 

 iron arc ; C and D arc 

 different photographs of the gases under exam- 

 ination': whilst E is the spectrum of pure Neon. 

 Ranisa\- and Cameron conclude their paper as 

 follows : ■' We must regard the transformation of 

 emanation into Neon, in presence of water, as indis- 

 putal)lv proved, and, if a transmutation be defined 

 as a transformation brought about at will, by change 

 of conditions, then this is the first case of transmu- 

 tation of which conclusive eviiience is put forward." 

 The same chemists also carried out similar experi- 

 ments, in which a salt of copper was added to the 



■ TRE 2S9. 



f Spectra (Ramsay) 



'-■■ Journal of the Chemical Society, Vol. XCI (1907), pages 931 et seq., Vol. XCIII (1908), pages 966 et seq. 



I Regarding the.se photographs the authors write, "The reproduction only shows some of the strongest red lines of neon 



in C and D. The helium and neon yellow lines appear as one thick line in the reproduction, although on the plate they are 



seen to be distinct." The photograph C was taken after D, when many of the neon lines had faded. 



